rest a while

It seems to me we would be hard put to find a more appropriate Gospel to lead into our annual retreat at Holy Name. Jesus invites us: “Come away by yourself to a deserted place and rest awhile.”

We would think it bizarre for a traveler not to be prepared for a journey. We would feel pity for the poor traveler who never read his/her itinerary. Which of these hundreds of aircraft is my flight? Usually we have a destination in mind when we set out. It is rare that the journey is the destination. But it is a great feeling to just relax and enjoy the drive without wondering “are we there yet?”

This week Jesus invites us, “come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” There are four different parts to that statement – each one means something on its own: Come away. To a deserted place. All by yourselves. And rest a while.

Some people (surely not any of us) wear a badge of busyness as if it were a badge of honor. “How are things going?” “Well, it’s been pretty crazy, I’ve been busy all day. Not enough time for everything.” The implicit message being: “I’m worthwhile because I’m busy.” But, you and I know it’s not a badge of honor – it a sign of an imbalanced life … Remember the little saying: “all work and no play makes Jill a dull person.” There’s a better one: “Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.”

Let’s pick apart Jesus’ invitation. Come away, he says. It’s not just “going away,” but it’s “coming away” with Jesus, the one whose yoke is easy, whose burden is light; the embodiment of refreshment. Come away from the daily grind whatever that may be.

To a deserted place. Our retreat director, Abbot Primate Gregory Polan has written: “It is my conviction that monasteries are among the most important places to our world today … what we offer is a warm welcome, whoever you are and whatever your story in life tells; we say, ‘come and be with us and find healing in the Word of God that we offer you’.” During our days of retreat we have the opportunity to recharge our spiritual batteries – to get out of the busyness trenches – to keep company with God.

From the street our grounds are an oasis for world-weary guests. But the seeds we plant must be sown more deeply than the grass. How good would a farm be if the owners only painted the silos and mended the fences? If the farmer never sowed seeds: no veggies, no fruit, no dinner. Retreat is a time to steep ourselves in Scripture and the words of the retreat director, to have a head-conversation with an author you’ve been anxious to meet or take time to get better acquainted with a confrere.

In case you missed it, the invitation Jesus extends to us for this time of retreat is to be “All by yourselves.” Jesus really means it. Thus especially during retreat we foster an environment of quietness and prayer, alone and together in chapel, so that each of us can delve into spiritual practices that “tightened the bonds that bind us ever closer to God and each other.”

And finally, Jesus says: Rest a while. This isn’t laziness. It’s not a perpetual state. It’s temporary. It’s for a while. But, for that while, it’s about rest. We cannot just minister to others day by day, month by month. We won’t be able to take care of others if we don’t make time to cater to ourselves and our own needs. We need to embrace the spiritual practice of rest. And, while some may think you’re a little crazy…you’ll be crazy in all the right ways.

So, how will you prepare for your journey into our annual retreat?

First, forget technology exists – except maybe for some soft, calming music. Use the down-time in the retreat schedule to explore your feelings and get to the core of changes you need to make. Seize the opportunity to enjoy nature, try new exercises physical and spiritual, time to just BE.

The retreat time gives you the excuse to try something different, to step out of your comfort zone and experience something new – to read about, pray about new things, new ways of living, and give yourself options for how you may want to make changes when you get back to “the real world” of everyday. In other words, a retreat can lift you out of a rut and be restorative for body and soul.

During these graced days of retreat let us pray for each other – and for all who will benefit from our “time apart by ourselves.”

Here in Mark we see an example of the kind of tension that exists in the life of every committed Christian. On the one hand, there is the need to draw away to a quiet place and to recharge our batteries, to regenerate our spiritual energy. At the same time, there are constant demands on our commitment to serve. We want to respond generously where there is real need. But, how do we know what is a ‘real need’ and what is just another’s whim or our own desire to be in demand.

To be in touch with the difference calls for a life immersed in discernment. There are times when, no matter how weary we feel, we know we should say ‘Yes’. There are other times when, in spite of the criticism it may generate, we know ought to say ‘No’. There are human limits to the quality of service we can give. In the life of Jesus, we see him at times leaving the people, in spite of their demands, and going away to pray. This kind of rest is not laziness or irresponsibility. This is the Sabbath rest our retreat director called us to.

Last weekend the apostles were sent out two-by-two. Today, they are re-gathering two-by-two. They had had exhilarating, but exhausting, experiences. For the first time they had been on their own without Jesus. They had preached, casted out demons, anointed the sick, and called people to respond to God’ message. Now Jesus invited them to “come away to a deserted place all by themselves and rest a while.” Notice there are four parts to the invitation: “Come away – to a deserted place – all by yourself – and rest a while.” Each phrase means something on its own, but none stands alone … we have to accept the whole package.

We are reminded that we must be on guard not to make busy-ness a badge of honor. That blinks an implicit message: I’m worthwhile because I’m so busy. I’m always tired equals “I’m important”. Busy-ness is not a badge of honor! On the contrary, it is the mark of a life way out of balance. It is NOT Benedictine!

It’s good to keep in mind about the idea of busyness that one person’s “work or drudgery” may be another’s “leisure or pleasure-filled activity.” That I enjoy ironing may seem very strange to those who bless the one who invented wash-n-wear fabric. Kneading bread may be a spiritual experience for you but your friend may find it stressful and just something she HAS to do to put bread on the table. Pulling weeds may offer one a chance to commune with God and nature and to another it’s just a hot, sweaty job she was told to do. Yes, it’s true one person’s pleasure is another’s pain. So, be slow to judge “she’s always so busy” – she might be using her hands to free her mind to get touch with the Spirit.

Jesus said: “Come away.” He did not say “Go away.” His is an invitation to a communal experience. It’s “coming away” to be with Jesus. What a beautiful words … Come away and rest … an invitation to step out of all the bustle and activity of life. Rest … a chance to slow down, to change the pace. If we don’t rest, we won’t be able to take care of others. If we don’t slow down, we will be of no use to anyone, especially God.

As Jesus listened to each of the two-by-two teams give their reports, he was moved by their tender stories of healing children, inspiring people, and boldly witnessing to Jesus. But the Lord must have also seen fatigue in their faces and so, in a gracious moment of concern, Jesus said to them: Come away for a while and rest. I know a place close by ~ just across the lake ~ a deserted place, a bit of wilderness. Jesus made no suggestion that their ministry of witness and compassion was over but he offered them a respite from busyness. They got into a boat and headed off for the first Christian retreat.

And you know what greeted them! Mark says, over 5000 figured out where the boat was going and got there ahead of them. You can probably imagine how the disciple felt when they saw that waiting crowd. They had had visions of having a little quiet time with Jesus. And, now, my, oh, my you’ve got to be kidding! Can’t we have any break? Or, maybe that wasn’t their reaction. Maybe they saw the same thing Jesus saw: sheep without a shepherd. It was clear that the needs of the people called for a positive response. Like Jesus, their Shepherd, the disciples’ hearts were moved to pity – to reach out, setting personal wishes aside in deference to the needs of others.

To be sure, there is weariness in ministry. We know this is true, but weariness is no excuse to quit, and weariness is no excuse to back-off and let others pick up the torch. Like a runner or a swimmer, we need to catch our second breath and snuff out the rising murmur: “I’ve done my part; I’ve served my time – it’s someone else’s turn!” Somehow we must discover Jesus’ compassion for the crowd within our own heart.

It’s just not as easy as it sounds. Sometimes life just gets too serious…too busy…and too complicated. We don’t mean for it to happen, but we wake up one morning to discover the fun has slipped away.

Several years ago a health study determined there are 3 main reasons people can’t cope with the demands in their lives: They live in the past. They have a low self-esteem. They can’t laugh at themselves.

In fact, the study indicated that we need approximately 12 laughs a day to stay healthy! Yes, life throws us curve balls just when we least expect it (like being paged to a guest just when we finally got a chance to zone out for a few minutes). To stay sane we need to sit back and enjoy a good laugh. So here’s your laugh-vacation for today.

Not long ago a lady I know sent flowers to her friend who had opened a new restaurant. When she arrived at the grand opening, she looked for the flowers. Imagine her consternation when she found them, and saw that, in her haste in placing the order, she had sent a white wreath that said, “May you rest in peace.” She panicked, of course, and called the florist who said, “Honey, I’m not worried about you because as we speak, there’s a lady being buried across town who got a dozen roses that said, ‘Good luck in your new location!’”